Raising Cultural Awareness of Fifth-Grade Students through Multicultural Education: An Action Research Study

Sarraj, Huda; Bene, Konabe; Li, Jiaqi; Burley, Hansel

Multicultural Education, v22 n2 p39-45 Win 2015

For decades scholars have agreed that the United States is becoming a more racially and ethnically diverse society. It is projected that the U.S. will become a majority-minority nation for the first time in 2043. By 2060, people of color will consist of 57% of the total population. Given this trend, it is hardly surprising that this social diversification is fundamentally challenging all aspects of everyday life in the U.S. Although numerous scholars, activists, and educators cannot wait to embrace the arrival of a true multicultural world, social phenomena like discrimination, inequality, injustice, and poverty still negatively affect the aspirations of peoples of color and of multiculturalists. Furthermore, the whole social system seems to not yet be ready for such change, particularly schools, where teachers are predominantly White and the curriculum remains Eurocentric. As the discourses around multicultural education and awareness grow, several researchers raise concern about how to prepare teachers and students for this challenge. In this article, the authors first explore various conceptualizations of multiculturalism that informed their approach to multicultural education. They then address the specific cultural needs of students in the K-12 school setting. In this way, this study describes the procedure of developing and implementing a program for multicultural education. Specifically, this study details: (1) The definition of multicultural education and its association with school curriculum; (2) The theoretical framework for multicultural education; (3) Methods used in the study; and (4) Discussion and implications for future development of multicultural education programs.